Harrington Park seminars to enlist middle-school parents, students in fight against drug abuse

HARRINGTON PARK — The school community will hold an anti-drug seminar this week aimed at informing and training parents to form the front line in the battle against drug abuse among younger students.

The event, Thursday night at the Harrington Park School at 7 p.m., marks the kickoff for a series of programs designed to help both parents and middle-school students grapple with the drug and alcohol problem in the area.

Parents will be given information about underage drinking trends, signs of substance abuse and local resources for drug and alcohol addicts. Among the speakers will be Ellen Elias and Samantha Harries from the Center for Alcohol and Drug Resources in Hackensack and Harrington Park DARE Officer Rob Murphy.

A second program on June 25 will be geared towards students.

“The goal is to get children to pause,” said district Superintendent Adam Fried, who was involved in creating the program after a group of parents brought the idea to the Harrington Park Council. “They could be getting to a car with the wrong person, making a decision at a party or even on the street. We want to put our kids in the best possible scenarios to make better decisions. It’s about leadership development.”

Fried said he hopes the program will be a long-term initiative addressing the issue holistically, by obtaining feedback from students and engaging them in discussion, and addressing mental health issues and the struggles of today’s families.

Parents need to think about drug- and alcohol use in terms of a progression, because there’s a link between early use and continued use with stronger drugs, Elias said. “Parents must recognize the signs of abuse so they can intervene early.”

The average age in New Jersey for someone to start using alcohol is 12 1/2, she noted.

Elias said she is gratified that adults are taking the issue seriously, in ways that she hasn’t seen before — “The only way it works is if we all get involved and start talking the same language. That’s when we will make a difference.”

Amy Heller, a parent who was active in the group’s formation, said part of the impetus was some parents’ continued disappointment with the Northern Valley Regional High School District in reaching out to inform parents on how to intervene. The district recently went through a tempestuous yearlong debate on drug use in the school community after proposing to install a random drug-testing program.

“There is so much great stuff out there — information, resources, and strategies that parents can use and want to know about,” Heller said. “I am excited to see our town embracing a positive and informative approach to helping parents and kids.”

Researchers have identified the middle school years as a stressful times when some children begin to experiment with alcohol and drugs. It is also where there is the largest void when it comes to drug education, she noted.

“By giving parents information, providing resources, sharing parenting tips, and opening up the discussion about substance use, we hope that our families will be better prepared to keep teens healthy and safe,” said Heller.